Circuit-arrangement in an automatic signaling system for the numerical adjustment of a final selector under the control of pulses



Nov. 2, 1954 R. B. BUCHNER CIRCUIT-ARRANGEMENT IN AN AUTOMATIC SIGNALING SYSTEM FOR THE NUMERICAL ADJUSTMENT OF A FINAL SELECTOR UNDER THE CONTROL OF PULSES giled Oct. 5. 1950 INVENTOR.

ROBERT BERTOLD BUCHNER AGENT United States Patent ADJUSTMENT OF A FINAL SELECTOR UNDER THE CONTROL'OF PULSES :Robert 'Bertold Buchner, Hilversum, Netherlands, as-

signor to Hartford National Bank and Trust Company,

Hartford, Conn as trustee Application October 5, 1950, Serial No. 188,535

' Claims priority, application Netherlands October 7, 1M9

4 Claims. (Cl. 179-18) L The invention relates to a circuit-arrangement in an automatic signalling system, for example, an automatic telephone system, for the numerical adjustment of a finalsingle-motion selector of fixed rest position under the control of pulses.

; ,It has heretofore been suggested to provide a circuitarrangement for the adjustment of a switch constituted by. two groups of individual marking contacts, that is to say contacts not connected to similar contacts of another switch, contacts of one group being arranged between contacts of the other group. Under the control of dial pulses, a pulse contact alternately supplies a start indication and a stop indication alternately to the contacts of one group and those of the other group, any further contacts having a start indication. The controldevice; of the switch tests, by way of a testing arm, the character of the indication. The control device arrests the switch when the test arm reaches a marking contactwhich has a stop indication, and it causes the switch tocontinue its movement when the marking contact reached has a start indication.

In the rest position of the selector the breaking contact has a stop indication. At the beginning of the first pulse the indications are interchanged and the selector moves on until a marking contact of the other group having a stop indication is reached. At the end of the first pulse, the pulse contact again interchanges the indications, so' that the contact at which the selector was arrested assumes a start indication and the selector moves on until a contact of the other group is reached which now has a stop indication; Hence the arrangement operates as an electric escapement.

The stop indication may be constituted, for example, by the presence of voltage across the marking contact, whereas a contact with start indication has no voltage and is thus not connected to a source of voltage, or

conversely, the stop indication may be constituted by the absence of voltage and the start indication by the presence of voltage.

, This method has the advantage that single-motion switches may be used, which are simpler and cheaper than switches of bi-dimensional motion, registers or separate adjusting switches being dispensed with. Since the spacings between the contacts at which the selector is arrested :at the end of a pulse series may be varied within wide with self-interrupting contacts have the disadvantage that .the speed cannot be increased to a sufficiently high extent, so thatthe reliability of the adjustment is seriously affected.

The invention mitigates these disadvantages and provides a circuit-arrangement in which both the tens adjustment and the adjustment to the desired outlet are effected with the use of an electric escapement. .The invention is characterized in that the groups of contacts associated with the same tens are divided into "ice two main groups and the contacts of each tens of the first main group are arranged between contacts of a decade of the second main group. The pulse contact member, during a unit pulse series, supplies a stop indication and a start indication alternately to the contacts of one main group and those of the other main group such that at the adjustment to a contact of the main group during the unit pulses, the contacts of this main group exhibit the start indication.

The principle of the known method for adjusting a switch with the use of an electric escapement will be described in detail with reference to Fig. l of the accompanying drawing.

Fig. 2 shows one embodiment of a circuit-arrangement according to the invention.

Fig. 1 shows a number of marking contacts 1 to 10 of a switch, which are contacted by the same test wiper T. In the rest position of the switch, the wiper T engages contact 1. The contacts having odd numbers are connected to a common line L1 while the contacts having even numbers are connected to a line L2. The winding of rotary magnet D of the switch is arranged intermediate the wiper T and a terminal of a battery Ba, the other terminal of which is connected to earth potential. nects the line L2 to earth across its break contact. The rotary magnet D is then not energized and the switch is not in motion.

At the beginning of the first pulse, a pulse relay (not shown) moves the pulse member a to connect to the left, with the result that the contacts of odd numbers are connected to earth, that is to say, they assume the start indication. The rotary magnet D is thus energized in a circuit passing from earth, across the make contact of a line L1, marking contact 1, test wiper T, the winding of the rotary magnet D to the battery Ba, thereby actuating the switch. The unnumbered contacts arranged between the numerical contacts are connected to earth, so that when a test wiper strikes one of these contacts the rotary magnet remains energized and the switch moves on until a contact not connected to earth, that is to say, a contact exhibiting a stop indication, is reached. This, in the present case, is contact 2. The switch remains on this contact till at the end of the pulse the pulse member a is moved back to the rest position. The rotary magnet D is then re-energized and the switch moves to the next contact exhibiting a stop indication, that is to say, contact 3. The next pulse moves the switch from contact 3 via contact 4 to contact 5, and so forth. The contacts having odd numbers are consequently the contacts to which the switch can be numerically adjusted at the end of a pulse series.

It is obvious that the contacts having even numbers, which act as intermediate stop contacts, are required to prevent the switch from reaching a contact having an odd number before the pulse has ended and this contact reassumes the stop indication.

It may now occur that the spacing between a contact having an odd number and the next following contact having an even number is so large that the pulse has expired before the switch has reached the contact having an even number. In this case the switch does not stop at this contact because it again exhibits the start indication. This is not inconvenient per se since the selector switch moves on. However, care should be taken to see that the speed of the switch is such that the intermediate stop contact is passed before it has again supplied to it the stop indication at the beginning of the next following pulse.

A similar condition may prevail, if the switch reaches a contact having an odd number at an instant when a next following selection pulse has already started.

In the final selector circuit shown in Fig. 2, only those elements are indicated which are required for understanding the invention.

Of the contact bank of the selector only part of the escapement arc is shown. Arranged at the side of the break contact N are two-non-numerical contacts V1 and V2, the. corresponding outlets of which have no outlet lines connected to them. The contacts 11, 12 and so In the rest position, the pulse member a conforth, associated with the first tens are spaced apart by a distance of two contacts. The intermediate contacts 21, 22 and so forth are contacts of the second decade. After the contacts of the first two tens, the contacts of the third and the fourth tens are alternately arranged in a similar manner.

The contacts are engaged by the test wiper T of the final selector, D again designating the rotary magnet. The contacts N, V2, 29, 20 and so forth are connected through line L1, and break contact of the relay 0 to the break contact of the pulse contact a of the pulse relay. The contacts V1, 10 and so forth are connected through line L4 and break contact 0 to the make contact tact of the pulse contact a In the energized condition of relay B, the contacts 11, 31 and so forth are connected through make contact b of this relay also the line L4 and the break contact 0 to the make contact 11 During the tens pulse series, the contacts 21, 22, 23 and so forth are connected through line L2 and break contact e of the relay E to earth and during the unit pulse series they are connected through make contact e to the line L1.

Similarly, during the tens pulse series, the contacts 12, 13, 14 and so forth are connected through break contact e of the relay E to earth and during the'unit pulse series through make contact e to the line L4- The circuit-arrangement operates as follows:

When the final selector is engaged by a group selector in the preceding stage, the busy relay C is energized through lead Ls, the rotary magnet D not being excited, since the make contact b is still open.

The dial pulses are supplied to the pulse relay A. At the beginning of the first pulse of the tens series, relay'A becomes operative andcloses through its make contact a an energizing circuit for relay B. This relay is a slow-releasing relay so that it is held energized for the entire pulse series and is de-energized some time after the termination of the last pulse.

Since the make-contact b closes after relay A has changed over the armature a the energizing circuit for the rotary magnet D is not completed during the first pulse and the selector remains in its rest position.

At the end of the first tens pulse the armature a returns to its rest position, so that a circuit is completed from earth through break contact a break contact 0 line L1, break contact N, test wiper T, make contact b make contact and the winding of rotary magnet D to battery Be.

The rotary magnet D is energized in this circuit. The selector leaves the break contact N, but stops immediately at the next following contact, because this contact is now not connected to earth.

If a second pulse of the tens series does not follow, relay B is de-energized, so that relay E is energized in a circuit from earth through winding of relay E, break contact 11 off-normal contact k of the selector, and make contact c to battery Ba. Relay E completes a holding circuit for itself through make contact e independent of break contact 12 and connects the contacts 21, 22 and so forth, through a make contact e to the line L1 and through a make contact e the contacts 12, 13 and so forth to the line L4.

The circuit remains in this condition until the beginning of the first pulse of the unit series. Owing to the energization of relay A, relay B is ire-energized through a make contact 11 and is held energized for the unit pulse series.

Owing to the closure of make contact a contact Vl assumes the start indication, so that the test wiper leaves :the winding of rotary magnet D to battery. The selector then moves to contact 21.

This contact is connected to earth at the end of the second pulse through break contact a so that the rotary magnet D is re-energiz'ed and the selector moves to contact 12. t

The selector is moved in a similar manner by the third unit pulse to contact 13. The contact V1 acts as a preliminary contact for the first tens, that is to say, if the selector of the first pulse of the decade series stops at this contact, the selector moves after the first unit pulse to the first contact 11, associated with the first tens.

The tens pulse series will now be assumed to be formed by two pulses. As described above, the selector is moved to contact Vi by the first tens pulse. Since after a definite time the first pulse is followed by a second, the relay B is held energized. The second tens pulse then moves the selector from contact V1 to contact 11 in exactly the same manner as did the first unit pulse in the preceding case, that is to say, the selector stops at contact V2 during the first pulse and at the end of the pulse moves to contact 11. Contact 11 is the preliminary contact of the second tens.

Since a third tens pulse does not follow, relay B is deenergized, so that, as in the preceding case, after the tens pulse series relay E is energized. Now a circuit is completed from battery Ba through break contact b line Ls, marking contact 11, brush T, break contact b and winding 01 of relay 0 to earth. Relay 0 is energized in this circuit and completes a holding circuit for itself through its make contact 0 and a second winding 02.

The change-over contact 0 and O commutate the pulse member a with respect to the lines L1 and L4.

This does not result in the energization of rotary magnet D, since the circuit is broken at break contact 17 Obviously the pulse member a may be commutated in a different manner, for example, with the use of a counting circuit in the selector or in the register, which commutates the pulse member after an even series of decade pulses.

At the beginning of the first pulse of the then following unit series relay A becomes operative, so that contact a switches the earth connection from the line L4 to the line L1. Relay B is energized through make contact a and is held energized for the duration of the unit series.

Now a circuit is. completed from the battery through the winding of D, make contact C make contact b brush T, marking contact 11, line L5, and make contact b to line Li. However, the rotary magnet is not energized, because the pulse member a removes the earth connection from line L4 before the make contacts of relay B are closed.

At the end of the first unit pulse, the pulse member a reverts to its rest position, so that the line L4 is connected to earth through make contact 0 and break contact a The selector thus moves to contact 21.

It should be noted that the first pulse shifts the selector relatively to one contact only.

The second unit pulse shifts the selector to contact 22, the third pulse to contact 23, and so forth, in a manner exactly similar to that described above.

If the tens pulse series is formed by three pulses, the first two pulses move the selector to contact 11. Upon passing this contact, relay 0 is not energized, since relay B is held energized.

At the beginning of the third pulse, contact 11 is earthed. The selector leaves this contact and passes by the contacts 12 to 19 and 21 to 23, since they are connected to earth through break contacts e and e When the selector reaches contact 29 before the pulse has ceased, it stops at this contact and moves towards contact 10 on at the end of the pulse.

Contact it) is the preliminary contact for the third tens. The adjustment to the unit within this tens is effected in a manner exactly similar to that within the first tens.

The fourth tens pulse moves the selector to contact 31, the preliminary contact of the fourth tens, whence the adjustment to the desired outlet takes place similarly to the second decade.

In a similar manner contact 30 is the preliminary contact of the fifth tens and contact 51 the preliminary contact of the sixth tens, and so forth.

After the selector is adjusted to a desired outlet, a test is made in a known manner, not described here in greater detail, whether the outlet is free or engaged.

At the end of the call, relay C is de-energized, so that rotary magnet D is energized in the circuit of battery Ba, rotary magnet D, break contact C and off-normal contact IQ of the selector to earth, and the selector moves until in the rest position contact K opens.

it is obvious that within the scope of the invention the circuit-arrangement may bevaried' in a number of ways; thus, for example, the start indication may be constituted by non-connection of. a marking contact to earth or to a battery, while the contacts having a stop indication are connected to earth or to a battery. If desired, further contacts may be arranged between the decade contacts shown, for example, non numerical contacts and contacts of outlets to which P. B. X-lines are connected.

What I claim is:

1. In an automatic signalling system, a circuit arrangement responsive to pulses of a tens pulse series and of a unit pulse series for the numerical adjustment of a final single-motion selector of fixed rest position, said selector having a test wiper and first and second groups of individual contacts, each of said groups having a subgroup representing the same tens, the contacts of the first group being disposed between the contacts of the second group, the contacts of said first and second groups being respectively designated as preliminary and intermediate contacts, said circuit arrangement comprising a pulse contact member for supplying during the periods between the beginning and end of a tens pulse series a stop indication to said preliminary contacts and a start indication to said intermediate contacts, said pulse member during a unit pulse series supplying alternately a stop indication and a start indication to the subgroup of the first group and the subgroup of the second group, commutation means coupled between said member and said first and second groups to interchange the indications supplied to said preliminary and intermediate contacts at the beginning and end of each tens pulse series, and a control device coupled to said selector and including means to actuate said test wiper, said control device further including means responsive to said indications to arrest said actuating means when the test wiper reaches a contact having a stop indication and to actuate said actuating means to cause said selector to move on when the test wiper reaches a contact having a start indication.

2. A circuit arrangement as set forth in claim 1 furthenincluding means causing the pulse contact member during a unit pulse to supply a start indication to the subgroup of the first group when after a decade pulse series the selector has been arrested and its test Wiper has reached a contact of the subgroup of the first group, and wherein said commutation means includes means to commutate said member when the selector has been arrested and its test wiper has reached a contact of the subgroup of the second group.

3. A circuit arrangement as set forth in claim 2 wherein said commutation means includes a relay and means to actuate said relay during the tens pulse series and to deactivate said relay after the tens pulse series.

4. A circuit arrangement as set forth in claim 3 wherein the preliminary contacts which have a stop indication during a unit pulse are arranged in the contact bank immediately before the first contact of the subgroup of the first group and wherein the control device includes means to arrest the selector when said relay is deactuated.

References Cited in the tile of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,648,009 Stearn Nov. 8, 1927 1,877,883 Kahn Sept. 20, 1932 1,903,207 Wicks et al Mar. 28, 1933 1,914,384 Richardson et al. June 20, 1933 2,057,890 Feist Oct. 20, 1936 2,291,481 McDavitt July 28, 1942 2,416,086 Christian Feb. 18, 1947 2,454,809 Kruithof et al Nov. 30, 1948 2,506,200 Ericsson May 2, 1950 2,547,043 Pouliart Apr. 3, 1951 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 895,485 France Jan. 25, 1945 

